Display device with light guide plate having outgoing structure regions

Abstract

A display device includes a light guide plate that guides light incident from a first light source to cause part of the light to exit from a light exit surface. The light guide plate includes a first outgoing structure region including a plurality of outgoing structures, and the plurality of first outgoing structures have maximum incident directions that make intensity of light exiting in a predetermined direction largest scattered over a first angle range.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A display device comprising:
 a plurality of light sources; and 
 a light guide plate configured to guide light incident from each of the light sources to cause part of the light to exit from a light exit surface, wherein 
 the light guide plate comprises
 a first outgoing structure region comprising a plurality of first outgoing structures each having a maximum incident direction that causes an intensity of light exiting in a first predetermined direction to be largest for the first predetermined direction lying within a first angle range centered on a first direction of light emission from a first light source, 
 a second outgoing structure region comprising a plurality of second outgoing structures each having the maximum incident direction lying within a second angle range centered on a second direction of light emission from a second light source located adjacent to the first light source, and 
 a third outgoing structure region comprising a plurality of third outgoing structures each having the maximum incident direction coincident with a third direction of light from a position located between the first light source and the second light source, wherein
 the third outgoing structure region is located between the first outgoing structure region and the second outgoing structure region, 
 the maximum incident directions of the plurality of first outgoing structures are scattered over the first angle range, and 
 the maximum incident directions of the plurality of second outgoing structures are scattered over the second angle range. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The display device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the maximum incident direction of each of the plurality of first outgoing structures, the maximum incident direction of each of the plurality of second outgoing structures, and the maximum incident direction of each of the plurality of third outgoing structures are random directions. 
 
     
     
       3. The display device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the maximum incident directions of the plurality of first outgoing structures are set identical to each other within a partial region of the first outgoing structure region and set at random among a plurality of the partial regions, 
 the maximum incident directions of the plurality of second outgoing structures are set identical to each other within a partial region of the second outgoing structure region and set at random among a plurality of the partial regions, and 
 the maximum incident directions of the plurality of third outgoing structures are set identical to each other within a partial region of the third outgoing structure region and set at random among a plurality of the partial regions. 
 
     
     
       4. A display device comprising:
 a plurality of light sources; and 
 a light guide plate configured to guide light incident from each of the light sources to cause part of the light to exit from a light exit surface, wherein 
 the light guide plate comprises
 a first outgoing structure region comprising a plurality of first outgoing structures each having an incident direction that causes an intensity of light exiting in a first predetermined direction to be largest for the first predetermined direction coincident with a first direction of light emission from a first light source, 
 a second outgoing structure region comprising a plurality of second outgoing structures each having an incident direction that causes an intensity of light exiting in a second predetermined direction to be largest for the second predetermined direction coincident with a second direction of light emission from a second light source located adjacent to the first light source, and 
 a third outgoing structure region comprising a plurality of third outgoing structures each having an incident direction that causes an intensity of light exiting in a third predetermined direction to be largest for the third predetermined direction coincident with a third direction of light from a position located between the first light source and the second light source, wherein
 the third outgoing structure region is located between the first outgoing structure region and the second outgoing structure region, 
 the plurality of first outgoing structures, the plurality of second outgoing structures, and the plurality of third outgoing structures each have a reflective surface with a curved surface, 
 the curved surface has a predetermined curvature, and 
 the predetermined curvature varies in accordance with a distance from a predetermined reference position of each of the plurality of first outgoing structures, the plurality of second outgoing structures, and the plurality of third outgoing structures. 
 
 
 
     
     
       5. The display device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the predetermined curvatures applied to the plurality of first outgoing structures are identical to each other within a partial region of the first outgoing structure region, the partial region being defined in accordance with a distance from the first light source, 
 the predetermined curvatures applied to the plurality of second outgoing structures are identical to each other within a partial region of the second outgoing structure region, the partial region being defined in accordance with a distance from the second light source, 
 the predetermined curvatures applied to the plurality of third outgoing structures are identical to each other within a partial region of the third outgoing structure region, the partial region being defined in accordance with a distance from the first light source or the second light source, and 
 outgoing structures each having a reflective surface with a curvature applied to an adjacent partial region are randomly arranged near a boundary between a plurality of the partial regions.